The Center for the History of Medicine is thrilled to announce that Jessica Sedgwick, the Center’s Collections Services Archivist, has been accepted into the 2017 cohort of the Archives Leadership Institute (ALI). ALI, which is funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), is a dynamic program that provides advanced leadership training and mentorship for 25 innovative archival leaders annually, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to transform the profession in practice, theory, and attitude. Applicants to this competitive program are chosen for their exceptional leadership skills and potential, ability to influence change within the archival field, strong commitment to the archival profession, demonstrated professional organizational involvement and service, collaborative and innovative spirit, and representation and/or support of diversity within the profession. As part of the program, participants design a practicum to be implemented at their home institution. ALI will be held at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, June 25 – July 1, 2017.

As Collections Services Archivist, Jessica leads an innovative program for establishing physical and intellectual control over the Center’s internationally renowned holdings, from accession through final processing and description. Jessica has a broad range of experience in the archival field, having worked previously in reference and instruction, outreach, digitization and metadata, born-digital collections management, acquisitions and collection development, and fundraising and grant planning. Prior positions include Metadata Project Manager for the Boston Library Consortium, Associate Archivist for Reference and Digital Collections at the Moakley Archive and Institute, Archivist for Women in Medicine at the Center for the History of Medicine, and Manuscripts Processor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Southern Historical Collection. Jessica earned her MLS at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2008 and is an active member of New England Archivists, most recently serving on the executive board and volunteering with the Mentoring Program. Jessica has taught as an adjunct faculty member at the Simmons College School of Library of Information and Library Science since 2011.

We know Jessica is looking forward to developing new skills, knowledge, and connections that will enable her to further advance the Center’s mission; we wish her the best of luck in Berea!